Read Online Prelude to Fire: Parts 1 and 2 by D. K. Holmberg - Free Book Online
Authors: D. K. Holmberg
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the village empty, he couldn’t just leave the other warrior here, not without knowing the extent of his injuries.
Returning meant controlling a shaping that would carry them both. Lacertin had attempted it before, but such a shaping would take much strength, maybe more than he could tolerate. It risked both of them.
“Go,” Veran said weakly.
Lacertin glanced down at him. The bleeding that had eased now opened again, as if the shaping had already failed. Were the hounds’ claws poisoned? As far as he knew, none had ever survived a hound attack to know for certain. When shapers encountered the hounds, they made certain to keep far enough away so as not to risk themselves.
They’d grown careless with the barrier, and had assumed it would hold.
“If I go and something happens…”
Veran tried to laugh but winced. “Something already happened. This was my mistake. Don’t let it claim us both.”
“I can get you back to Ethea,” Lacertin said.
Veran grunted. “You really think you can travel so far with another? I’m not sure such strength was even known when the ancients still walked these lands.”
They didn’t really know what the ancients were capable of doing. Most assumed they all spoke to the elementals and that was how they managed shapings that would be impossible now. Others figured it was the fact that those shapers were able to mix spirit into their shapings, an element that had been lost over time, as if the Great Mother didn’t want them shaping it anymore.
Lacertin glanced around and shook his head. “I’m not leaving you. We won’t lose another warrior to this war,” he said.
“We’ve lost so many already. What’s one more?”
“No,” Lacertin said.
He stood and took a few steadying breaths. He would need speed and control for this. Strength would help, but strength would only get him so far. If he could move quickly, he wouldn’t have to hold the shaping quite as long, but moving quickly carried with it other risks.
“Can you shape at all?” Lacertin asked.
Veran’s eyes had fallen closed again and his breathing came out slowly. He blinked slowly and ran his tongue over his lips. “Not well. It burns, Lacertin.”
“Can you hold a shaping well enough that I don’t drop you?”
That was his greatest fear. Speed meant that he had to focus on shaping and couldn’t afford to worry about dropping Veran. The only other time he’d attempted carrying another had been over short distances, barely enough to matter. Even that had been difficult. For this… this would be challenging. And if he failed and they didn’t reach the university, he wouldn’t have the strength needed to summon help.
Veran nodded. “I will try.”
Lacertin lifted him using a shaping of earth. Veran’s shaping took hold, sealing them together with earth and wind.
“Quickly,” Veran urged.
Lacertin pulled on each of the elements, binding them as was necessary for traveling. The shaping lifted him into the air, but slower than it should. Then, pulling the shaping atop him, lightning exploded, dragging him across the kingdoms.
The shaping was painfully slow. Lacertin fed it with all the strength he could summon. They picked up speed, making their way across Nara, and then into Ter, faster and faster. The ground moved past below him, but not as quickly as he would like.
Veran’s shaping failed somewhere over Ter. For a moment, Veran slipped and Lacertin lunged for him, diverting precious energy from his shaping to grab the warrior. He managed to keep him from falling, but now had to hold onto him as well as control the shaping. It wasn’t clear whether Veran still even breathed.
The draw of Ethea pulled him onward, and he finally saw the city rising up in the distance. They continued to pick up speed, now out of necessity. Such speed was dangerous but they streaked toward the capital.
His strength began to fade. With shaping, there were limits imposed by the strength of the shaper, and his
Returning meant controlling a shaping that would carry them both. Lacertin had attempted it before, but such a shaping would take much strength, maybe more than he could tolerate. It risked both of them.
“Go,” Veran said weakly.
Lacertin glanced down at him. The bleeding that had eased now opened again, as if the shaping had already failed. Were the hounds’ claws poisoned? As far as he knew, none had ever survived a hound attack to know for certain. When shapers encountered the hounds, they made certain to keep far enough away so as not to risk themselves.
They’d grown careless with the barrier, and had assumed it would hold.
“If I go and something happens…”
Veran tried to laugh but winced. “Something already happened. This was my mistake. Don’t let it claim us both.”
“I can get you back to Ethea,” Lacertin said.
Veran grunted. “You really think you can travel so far with another? I’m not sure such strength was even known when the ancients still walked these lands.”
They didn’t really know what the ancients were capable of doing. Most assumed they all spoke to the elementals and that was how they managed shapings that would be impossible now. Others figured it was the fact that those shapers were able to mix spirit into their shapings, an element that had been lost over time, as if the Great Mother didn’t want them shaping it anymore.
Lacertin glanced around and shook his head. “I’m not leaving you. We won’t lose another warrior to this war,” he said.
“We’ve lost so many already. What’s one more?”
“No,” Lacertin said.
He stood and took a few steadying breaths. He would need speed and control for this. Strength would help, but strength would only get him so far. If he could move quickly, he wouldn’t have to hold the shaping quite as long, but moving quickly carried with it other risks.
“Can you shape at all?” Lacertin asked.
Veran’s eyes had fallen closed again and his breathing came out slowly. He blinked slowly and ran his tongue over his lips. “Not well. It burns, Lacertin.”
“Can you hold a shaping well enough that I don’t drop you?”
That was his greatest fear. Speed meant that he had to focus on shaping and couldn’t afford to worry about dropping Veran. The only other time he’d attempted carrying another had been over short distances, barely enough to matter. Even that had been difficult. For this… this would be challenging. And if he failed and they didn’t reach the university, he wouldn’t have the strength needed to summon help.
Veran nodded. “I will try.”
Lacertin lifted him using a shaping of earth. Veran’s shaping took hold, sealing them together with earth and wind.
“Quickly,” Veran urged.
Lacertin pulled on each of the elements, binding them as was necessary for traveling. The shaping lifted him into the air, but slower than it should. Then, pulling the shaping atop him, lightning exploded, dragging him across the kingdoms.
The shaping was painfully slow. Lacertin fed it with all the strength he could summon. They picked up speed, making their way across Nara, and then into Ter, faster and faster. The ground moved past below him, but not as quickly as he would like.
Veran’s shaping failed somewhere over Ter. For a moment, Veran slipped and Lacertin lunged for him, diverting precious energy from his shaping to grab the warrior. He managed to keep him from falling, but now had to hold onto him as well as control the shaping. It wasn’t clear whether Veran still even breathed.
The draw of Ethea pulled him onward, and he finally saw the city rising up in the distance. They continued to pick up speed, now out of necessity. Such speed was dangerous but they streaked toward the capital.
His strength began to fade. With shaping, there were limits imposed by the strength of the shaper, and his
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